Madhubani Mithila Painting Women Cooperative Bihar

Madhubani in the Madhubani district of Bihar is the centre of Mithila painting, a living women art tradition that originated as ritual floor and wall decoration for Maithili household ceremonies and was recognised by the world art community in the 1960s when severe drought and flood drove artisans to paper to sell their skill. Mithila painting uses natural and chemical colours to create intricate line drawings of deities, mythological scenes, wedding ceremonies, and natural motifs — the distinctive double-line outline and dense pattern filling are characteristic of the tradition. GI certification protects Mithila Painting of Bihar. Women artists from Brahmin, Kayastha, and Dusadh communities traditionally each produced distinctive sub-styles of the painting. Cooperative women artist societies in Madhubani and Jitwarpur village have transformed the craft into a professional livelihood, supplying paintings to art galleries in Delhi, Mumbai, and New York. National Award artisans from Madhubani cooperatives have received the Padma Shri.